An agitation/defoaming device, for agitating/defoaming an object to be processed by revolving and rotating (spinning) a container containing the object, is known.
Such a agitation/defoaming device revolves the container so as to defoam the object, and rotates (spins) the container so as to agitate the object.
In the other words, the centrifugal force of the orbital motion (revolution) makes the object be pressed against the inside surface of the container so that air bubbles internally existing in the object move to the surface of the object and the object is defoamed, or the object in the surface portion rises along the inside wall surface of the container and a thin layer of the object is formed so that the air bubble whose size is larger than the thickness of the layer bursts and the object is defoamed.
Subsequently, the container is rotated (spun) using the device, and the spin motion makes the object be spirally flowed to agitate the object. Consequently, it is important for the agitation/defoaming device to achieve both agitating and defoaming effects.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a agitation/defoaming device, which includes an orbital drive motor and a spin drive motor and are used to agitate and defoam object contained in a container by controlling each of orbital and spin motions independently.
Patent Literature 2 discloses a technology for improving a defoaming effect by superimposing a cyclic variation component on the orbital motion and by changing the ratio of rotation to revolution (rotational frequency ratio of spin motion vs orbital motion).
Patent Literature 3 discloses a technology for improving a agitation/defoaming performance by reversing the orbital motion and the spin motion.
Patent Literature 4 discloses a technology for enhancing a defoaming effect by performing a agitation/defoaming treatment under reduced pressure.